May 2024

Ever precious greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is my great honor to share my heart with you once again. Spring is springing with its profusion of new blooms wherever we look! All the browns are now greening with a freshness of green that would make an Irishman jig! Spring herself is pregnant with thoughts of new life, new beginnings, new relationships, and above all – new Hope! God has coined Himself the very God of Hope (Romans 15:13). He sets Himself out before us, always to be ours in greater measure, always with us – yet, just beyond for our seeking. As we seek with all of our hearts, He decrees, “And I will be found of you…” (Jeremiah 29:14a) Deeper, sweeter depths of love fill our hearts, as in the finding, our intimacy only heightens (Psalm 42:7). As the petals of the flower unfold its inner beauty, so the Lord unfurls, daily, the nectar of His unplumbable love to us. To know Him and be known by Him – therein is Life eternal.

It is written, “And this is Life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17:3)

Life is a Person – Christ Himself; Life eternal personified in flesh. He was crucified in sorrow, buried in disgrace, resurrected in joyful power, ascended in awe, received back into glory! He now ministers in the power of an endless Life! He has forever destroyed sin and death. Contained in the title “Savior” are truths beyond measure. For now, we wait in anticipatory hope for the consummation of all things. On these cool, spring mornings – even as the world burns – creation still declares the glory of God. All things point to the coming of our King. Pretribulationism aside (and I pray it to be true), He is coming! The Lamb’s slain and the Lion is about to pounce; He is the Hope of the Kingdom to come.

Spring finds me fishing. I have been fishing since before I could walk. Reflectively, off to the lake or stream we would go, I always upon my father’s shoulders. Sixty plus years later, I still try to sneak to the lake early in the morning before my work day begins. Still dark, I am at the lake awaiting the sunrise. My precious old bible in one hand and my fishing pole in the other. When I get there, I am always torn in my heart as to whether I should read first or cast first. Of course, we know I should read first, right? Alas, my flesh cries, “You are not under the law! The big one is lurking right there in that shallow! If you do not cast now, you will miss him.” Then, with sweet gentleness, the Spirit whispers, “Who keeps those fish anyway!” Thus, I read first and will cast on the other side of the dock later.

The sun is slowly rising as I set up my kingdom on the dock. Birds of every sort are worshiping in every key as the geese cackle and rant of their morning mating antics. By them, I am reminded of my uniquely amazing, 27-year courtship with my beautiful Deborah Ann. I am still cackling and ranting about her beauty, inside and out, as she herself is the spring morning of my life everyday! Finally, my kingdom is in order. My chair is positioned on the edge of the dock and quite precisely angled (no pun intended). It has a shelf for my bible, pockets for my granola bars, a pocket for my phone ( by which I send tantalizing pictures of my fishing antics to my buddies to provoke jealousy – in love, of course ), and it has a hanger for my fishing vest and rod.

As my chair is pointed toward the sunrise, so is my heart toward the Son. All things are made ready. Pleasantly relaxed, I am worshiping non-stop as the squirrels chatter in the background rejoicing in their new-found food. Suddenly, in the quiet stillness, an osprey with manic quickness explodes out of a tree into the water. Startled, I jump out of my jeans as the osprey flies away from the shallows with my fish in its mouth! For those with eyes to see, the Lord’s sense of humor is always at hand. Who keeps those fish anyway?

Finally, I begin casting in the shallows with my pole. As I cast here and there in my angler’s zeal, oy vey, my prized lure is suddenly fifty yards away up in a tree! Not being the first time, as all anglers will attest, I am very thoughtful concerning the remedy. If I do not do this properly, I will lose my favorite lure, which nowadays costs about $8.00 apiece. At long last, by faith, I yank with all my might, and missile-like, my lure comes flying out of the tree zooming right past my face! Behold, now all the fishing line is tangled around the dock behind me – my treasured lure secure – but now I also have a huge rat’s nest of fishing line (the size of Chicago) all around my reel! I study said rat’s nest of entanglement at length and whiningly conclude in my heart, “This is impossible to untie!” Without thought, I chimed out loud, “Lord, have mercy.” I began to untangle it, by faith, hoping against hope in the God of the impossible, and in less than three minutes, it was completely untangled from the reel and dock! I was rejoicingly casting again! Oh me of little faith!

It is written, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting [no pun intended ] all your care upon Him; for He
careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Of a truth, it is not always spring in our lives – but God is always the God of Hope! In our joys and in our sorrows – He is risen! His purposes are unstoppable! In Christ, we are always on our Father’s shoulders, from faith to faith and from grace to grace! We walk through life hand in Hand with Life. Our Bible ought to be in one hand and our fishing pole (the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ) in the other. Jesus said, “…Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) Are you seeking souls or whining? The big one is always lurking! I could have whined in prison – I did not. My life appeared to be a total rat’s nest from a worldly perspective – it was not. Contrarily, it was a joyful, fruit-filled missionary field! Did you know that murmuring and soul-winning are mutually exclusive?

Beloved, when you have arrived at impossibility, you have found the Lord. That is where He waits for you! All your effort, your flesh, ideas, and works must first be exhausted to the point of your saying, “Oy vey!” Only then will you finally chime out loud, “Lord have mercy.” Does your life appear as a total rat’s nest? You must be very thoughtful concerning the remedy. Faint not – behold the God of Hope lives forever. He is the Great Untangler! He will untangle your issues as you submit; stop whining and walk by faith. Believe – that is your portion. He is indeed the God of the impossible; not you. “And He said, ‘The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.’” (Luke 18:27) Is your rat’s nest seemingly the size of Chicago? In hope against hope, it can be untangled! By faith, you too can be rejoicingly casting again. . .

“OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH!”

JOYFULLY IN JESUS,
LOVE, PHILIP